D.C. Tries Cash as a Motivator In School

[patrick]

LOL, yer taxdollars at work...

D.C. Tries Cash as a Motivator In School
Initiative Is Aimed At Middle Grades

By V. Dion Haynes and Michael Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 22, 2008; A01

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee announced plans yesterday to boost dismal achievement at half the city's middle schools by offering students an unusual incentive: cash.

For years, school officials have used detention, remedial classes, summer school and suspensions to turn around poorly behaved, underachieving middle school students, with little results. Now they are introducing a program that will pay students up to $100 per month for displaying good behavior.

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[Fayebelle]

Well- you get paid to go to work. Maybe they can give the $ back to their parents to help pick up the tab for getting them there

[Vautrin]

It is a matter of positive reinforcement, which might work. Negative reinforcement won't work; and that has been the experience for the past 50-100 years.

However, I doubt cash is a "cure" that would work though, simply because it will be seen as a punishment mechanism by the underperformers, or as a mechanism to pay for their habits (cigarettes, games, gadgets).
It probably works for a part of the students.

[Fayebelle]

Seriously- our nation's capital is a **** hole.


The kids they need to worry about make this in a day AT LEAST stealing cars, prostituting, getting pregnant (picking up welfare), or becoming involved in the drug industry (and I don't mean Pfizer)


It might help younger kids of horrid parents that just don't care if the kids go- provided they think they can get the $.

[PepsiChic]

hey at least they dont have to steal things to pay for their drug addictions anymore.

[Fayebelle]

Drugs aren't quite that cheap Pepsi

[Vautrin]

Booze is quite cheap, and if you go to 'parties' / events it is easy to get them.

[Fayebelle]

Indeed- but that crowd would probably rather get more cash fast then bother with school for $



At least good kids that were already attending will be rewarded

[F&L]

I wonder what the NEA thinks about this. I was never paid for getting good grades in school, but that was 30 years ago. Back then, just the threat of telling my parents was enough to make me behave. I think busing kids miles across town to "create diversity" has actually harmed our education system. A school should be representative of the local community, not one ten or more miles away. If, as a society, we truly believe that race no longer matters, then why do we stick with a thirty year old model that doesn't work? Paying kids to attend is just a bandaid that hides the wound of our poltically correct ways.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Vautrin

It is a matter of positive reinforcement, which might work. .....
It probably works for a part of the students.

Nothing will work for 100% of students.

Discipline problems in school are usually proportional to the number of kids that receive "Free and Reduced" Lunches, one of the few programs within the American public school system Funded by the Federal Government.

I taught in a middle school with 76% of this population, and found maybe about 10% of these kids were discipline problems that required more than a phone call home to straighten out. In real numbers, out of 150 8th graders, I had 10 that were ALWAYS in trouble.

If the Cash Reward program worked on just ONE of these, then I would call it a success.

[F&L]

Sounds like bribery.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by F&L

Sounds like bribery.

bribery is illegal. This isn't.

I really see no diffence between offering kids with good behaviour records money, or a pizza party, or an opportunity to play sports. Not all kids wanna play sports or eat pizza, or whatever reward falls short of money: Ok, So What? If they respond to it, then great.

[F&L]

I guess there's nothing that horrible about it, but I still think it masks the real problems.